The inaugural World Series of Poker (WSOP) on the Vegas Strip has begun and will continue until Wednesday, July 20.
This year, the World Series of Poker (WSOP) relocated from its 17-year home at the Rio All-Suites Hotel & Casino. The event is now set to take place at Paris Las Vegas and Bally’s.
Bally’s is currently undergoing renovations to be transformed into Horseshoe Las Vegas. Interestingly, this is not a mere coincidence, as WSOP was previously held at Binion’s Horseshoe casino in downtown Las Vegas before relocating to Rio.
Vanderpump rules WSOP 2022 opening ceremony
Lisa Vanderpump inaugurated the 2022 WSOP by making the iconic “Shuffle Up and Deal” announcement. The event took place at the $500 buy-in Casino Employees No-Limit Hold’em tournament, held at Paris.
Following the announcement, Vanderpump joined over 460 other players at the event by taking a seat.
The public first became acquainted with Vanderpump through The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. She is at the helm of a restaurant empire that encompasses over 35 venues nationwide.
Vanderpump A Paris, her latest restaurant in Las Vegas, is conveniently situated in the casino close to the ballrooms where the WSOP is held. The widely popular Vanderpump Cocktail Garden can be found across the street within the premises of Caesars Palace.
This year, WSOP is rolling out new events and scheduling low buy-in tournaments with high payouts on weekends. This approach caters to tourists planning a visit to Las Vegas, enabling them to participate without interfering with their work schedules. This strategy is anticipated to boost attendance, which has dipped due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
WSOP 2022 moves to a new venue
For the first time, the WSOP will be held on the Vegas Strip. The events will be divided between Paris and Bally’s.
WSOP and two casinos are owned by Caesars. Last year, renovations began inside Paris. The casino now boasts numerous new restaurants, including Vanderpump A Paris and a new Nobu location. In addition, The Bedford by Martha Stewart will be opening soon.
The transformation of Bally’s is currently underway, with the property set to be renamed as Horseshoe Las Vegas by the year’s end.
This month, Bally’s will see the opening of Jack Binion Steak. Following the completion of WSOP, M.Y. Asia by Martin Yang will also commence operations. As the year progresses, the launch of more new venues will continue.
Says Jason Gregorec, SVP and General Manager of the property:
Horseshoe is dedicated to providing the ultimate gambling experience. Since 1951, Horseshoe Casinos have offered the best odds, highest limits, and largest jackpots. Therefore, it’s only appropriate that we re-introduce Horseshoe to Las Vegas, specifically in the heart of the Las Vegas Strip.
Up until now, both casinos are updating their sportsbooks. Eventually, Bally’s casino floor will undergo a complete makeover.
The conversion of Bally’s into Horseshoe Las Vegas will happen throughout the year. Anticipate some confusion as both names will be utilized interchangeably.
For anyone visiting Las Vegas for the event, WSOP announcers Lon McEachern and Norman Chad provide a tour of Paris and Bally’s.
Parking at WSOP 2022
A significant change associated with the Vegas Strip is the requirement to pay for parking. Unlike at its former location at Rio, there is no complimentary parking available on-site for all players.
Parking fees for self-parking begin at $15 for 1-3 hours and escalate to $18 for 24 hours daily. The self-parking fee is mandatory for hotel guests. Locals are required to pay for parking if they stay at Bally’s or Paris for more than three hours.
Complimentary self-parking is provided to all players in the Platinum tier of Caesars Rewards. Those in the Diamond tier or higher also receive free valet parking.
WSOP players can register for the new Caesars Rewards credit card to obtain Platinum tier status and free self-parking.
Certain casinos on the Vegas Strip offer free parking, though they may require a bit of a walk. An alternative is to park elsewhere on the Strip and use the monorail, which can cut costs but extend the commute time. However, where there’s a will, there’s a way.
Dealers sharing rooms
Like many businesses nationwide, Caesars and WSOP have also been grappling with workforce shortages for roughly the past year.
Caesars had to raise wages for WSOP dealers this year. However, due to a vigorous effort, they successfully managed to enlist 1,000 dealers for this year’s event.
Vegas Inc. reports that WSOP dealers could earn up to $50 an hour this year.
Officials have raised the basic hourly wage for dealers from $9.75 to $12.50. In addition, dealers earn $15 for every 30-minute shift, known as a ‘down’, at a table for hold’em-only bracelet events. For non-hold’em bracelet events, like Omaha, dealers are paid $20 per down. This means that dealers have the potential to earn as much as $50 an hour, not including tips.
In addition to raising salaries, Caesars has also arranged for dealers to stay back at the Rio All-Suites, their former WSOP home. Approximately 300 dealers are spending $30 per night to stay there.
Some dealers are cohabiting suites to cut down on expenses. It takes approximately five minutes to drive from Rio to Bally’s and Paris.
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